The disclosure of the $25,000 handout several months after Ghana’s 3-0 loss in Port Harcourt, has generated a lot of furore in Ghanaian media circles, with officials defending the gesture as a gift from the Rivers State Governor and not a bribe as rumoured.
In an attempt to drive home a point, GFA chairman Ben Koufie, who received the said amount, acknowledged the receipt of the gift and stated that similar gestures were offered to Liberia and Congo DR who also played Nigeria in the oil-rich state.
However, the Liberian FA chairman, Edwin Snowe, said the revelation confirms their long held suspicion that Ghana and Nigeria fixed the game. As a result they were preparing a petition to FIFA to investigate the issue.
It’s belated though, but it is something we all knew of. We all saw the performance of the Black Stars against the Super Eagles and definitely we knew what went wrong,” Snowe said in an interview on Accra-based radio station, Choice FM, last Wednesday.
Nigeria needed nothing short of victory over Ghana to edge out Liberia for the group’s slot, but the 3-0 victory in which Ghana played the entire second half with nine men after first choice goalkeeper, James Nanor was replaced and his substitute, Osei Boateng was sent off- raised a lot of eyebrows.
But it is the $ 25,000 gift shared among the stars players and officials, which has strengthened Liberia’s believe that something surreptitious took place. Snowe said Liberia feel cheated but are not pressing for Nigeria’s disqualification. Instead, they hope to set the records straight and let the world know Ghana and Nigeria connived to ensure their elimination.
“We’ve always said the game was fixed. But that is the bad side of football and we are going to see what FIFA will do about it. “If nothing is done that’s it. But we need to let the world know that Liberia were robbed, that Ghanaians went to Nigeria not to defend their flag but receive a hand-out”, he lamented.
Claims that the Lone Star also benefited from the largess of Nigerians was dismissed by the Liberian FA boss, who rather ridiculed the Black Stars ,for trading their pride for pittance.
“You can ask the Nigerians; not a cent was given to us. We went there to win and qualify for the World Cup but Ghana went there for a handout. “Now the whole world knows Ghanaians are not principled as we’ve always believed, and that they go for peanuts. T hey sold their national pride to Nigeria and we are shocked that they would do such a thing”, Mr. Snowe lamented.
Ironically, Black Stars coach Fred Osam Duodu accused Liberian top striker and technical director George Weah of attempting to influence his players during Ghana’s 2-1 victory over Liberia in Monrovia. This charge was flatly denied by Weah who even threatened to seek legal action to redeem his image.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 08 November2001 - Wonder Club Accra Great Olympics on Thursday qualified for the quarterfinals of the FA Knockout competition with a 6-5 victory of Dawu Youngsters in their one-eighth match played at the Accra Sports stadium.
Olympics kicked off and made early incursions into their opponents half but timely interventions from Dawu’s goalie Amoaful, saved them from conceding any goals.
Olympics' best chance to take the lead came in the 37th minute when David Sarkodie set up James Zogho but the latter fumbled at the last minute to leave Dawu off the hook.
Two minutes into the second half, Referee Kwame Ghartey, yellow carded Dawu’s David Robinson for bringing down Dennis Odoom when he was in a good position to score. Olympics however took the lead in the 71st minute with a header from Odoom, which sailed into the open net after the ball had been chipped over the head of onrushing goalie Amoaful, who incidentally had a spectacular game for Dawu.
The celebration of the Dade Boys was however cut short when Dawu's Baba Sulley tapped in the equaliser, less than two minutes after the opener when he profited from a goalmouth melee as Olympics defenders failed to deal with a cross from the right.
Both teams resorted to physical tackles, which brought out the yellow card of Referee Ghartey on several occasions.
During the penalty shoot out, Olympics converted all their five kicks whiles Dawu wasted their first kick.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 09 November 2001 - With barely four matches left to end this year's Star Premier league, defending champions Accra Hearts of Oaks look set to lift their fifth trophy, having a comfortable eight points lead but still have some unfinished business in having to tame their city rivals, Accra Great Olympics on Sunday.
The Accra derby would not as keenly contested as it used to be years back considering the gap in standards of the two teams with Hearts virtually dominating the local scene while the Olympics have been persistent at the lower rungs of the table.
But Sunday's encounter holds much for the blue and white shirted Dade boys who are in a dogfight to avoid relegation that had stared them in the face since the beginning of the season even though in recent times fortune seemed to be smiling on them with some impressive results.
If the formbook would be the only determining factor then Olympics would be the favourites considering the way they have been playing. This puts Hearts in a very tight corner as they can be made to suffer the same fate of their recent opponents. But Hearts would be fired up with Sunday being the day the club was formed and hence a victory over Olympics would be the icing on the cake.
Jones Attuquayefio, Hearts head coach has already ruled out any form of compromise to surrender the three maximum points at stake to the Wonder Club without a fight to enable them to lift themselves out of the relegation zone as being speculated in certain quarters.
He added that he is not going to underrate any club whatsoever and would use the full compliment of his team to tackle the encounters left with all the seriousness they deserve "I hate it when people say that the league has already been won, I believe until it's all over, it is not over," he said.
Setting up an uncompromising encounter that could go either way Kotoko's high hopes of grabbing the league title this year is gradually fizzling out with Hearts still holding on to their eight points lead. With their never dying spirit Kotoko take on Berekum Arsenal in a grudge match after the latter was declared losers in the first round encounter for fielding an unqualified player.
Obuasi Adansiman who stunned Tema Ghapoha with a lone goal could do the same to Okwawu United in their clash at Obuasi.
Real Tamale United (RTU) are likely to collect all the three points when they host Maxbees at the Kaladan Park.
Struggling Kwaebibirem United will sort things out with Hasaacas at Asuom whiles Liberty Professionals host Tano Bofoakwa on Saturday at the Accra Sport Stadium.
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